A woman, who says she was “refused” the right to buy her rented home, claims it has gone up for sale 24 hours after she moved out.
Emma Hooper had lived in the two-bedroom terraced council house for over 14 years and thought she would be there for the rest of her life.
The 58-year-old, who was paying £460 a month in rent, enquired about purchasing the property through the government’s Right to Buy scheme.
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She claims her application was unsuccessful and last month, February 2024, she moved out of the home – but then allegedly noticed the next day that it had been put up for auction.
“I lived there for 14 years and within 24 hours of me moving out, it was up for sale so someone else could take it,” Emma, a cleaner from Penzance, told Need To Know.
“I feel I have been lied to, deceived… and I’m very upset.
“I loved that house so much and in hindsight, I don’t think I would have ever given it up if I’d known.”
The Right To Buy scheme allows tenants to buy their council home at a discount, as long as it meets the general requirements.
On the website, www.gov.uk, it states that those who can apply must ensure that the home is their main residence, is self-contained, that the tenant is secure (such as someone who hasn’t broken their tenancy agreement) and that a public sector landlord has been in place for three years.
For Emma, she claims that in September 2011, one year after moving into the property, the home was taken over by Devon and Cornwall Housing Association: LiveWest.
According to the government’s terms, this still entitles tenants to purchase the home under the Preserved Right to Buy scheme.
But, the 58-year-old claims that her application was rejected in 2021.
She said: “I was told I didn’t have the right to buy due to the break in council housing as the housing association took over.
“They said that they do not sell old council houses.
“But then, after I moved out, my old neighbour messaged me to ask if my house was up for auction.
“Immediately, I went online and was horrified to see that it was.”
Emma claims that LiveWest told her that the property was in need of a lot of work, such as a new roof and modern renovations.
On 20 November 2023, she was also informed that they were sending someone to check over the home, before listing it on Home Choice – a social housing register – for another family to live in.
She said: “I felt better thinking it was going to a family who really needed it.”
Now, after initially being put up for auction, it’s being listed with estate agents to find a buyer.
Emma added: “It’s very sad to look at it all.
“I’m happy where I am now, as we have a lovely house and in a lovely place.
“But I would’ve liked to have the option to buy the place I called home for 14 years.”
James Reseigh, Director of Neighbourhoods for LiveWest, said: “In 2021, Ms Hooper requested to buy her home at a discount under the Right to Buy scheme.
“She was advised that she was not eligible to purchase at a discount.
“She subsequently left the home in February 2024 and now lives elsewhere.
“When a home becomes vacant, we review the investment needs of the property.
“In the case of this home, we identified that significant investment was required to bring the home up to modern environmental standards.
“We have therefore decided to sell the home and we are working with an estate agent to find a buyer.”
The agent also said that proceeds from the sale will go towards funding more affordable homes in Cornwall, with plans for 1,000 more in the next five years, and that eight families had been “given keys” to new homes in the last month, “as a result of recycling money in this way”.
